#citysteading

[patheticgardener]

Inonotus obliquus, commonly called chaga, is a fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae. It is parasitic on birch and other trees. The sterile conk is irregularly formed and resembles burnt charcoal.

Animal and test-tube studies found that chaga extract may boost immunity, prevent chronic inflammation, fight cancer, lower blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol.

We spent the afternoon hiking and found some up in the birch trees. We took it home and dried it all, placing it in jars for the future.

Take a chunk and simmer for three hours by placing it to steep on something warm like a stovetop or perhaps the wood stove.

It has a slight vanilla flavour and is a wonderful coffee replacement.

[patheticgardener]

Happy Easter from the pathetic gardeners! 💕🤤

For dinner we had dill pork chops, rice, and a lovely arugula, fruit salad. We made charcuterie boards, one with various meats, crackers and cheese, the other has some salsas, ferments, and sourdough bread we’ve either made, were gifted to us, or bought locally.

[patheticgardener]

Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris)

We’ve been trying to grow lavender for a years with little success, however while I was looking out the window the other day, I noticed the lilacs in full bloom. They have a lovely scent and since we don’t have lavender around, why not use what we have?

I started to make diy salt scrubs at home, I’ve been slowly perfecting the right recipe. First, I used kosher salt, sugar, and essential oil. Essential oil needs to be mixed with a carrier oil to be applied topically; so I tried coconut oil, however I found coconut oil is comedogenic (i.e. clogs pores). So I changed the recipe to sea salt, epsom salt, glycerin oil, and I’ve been using dried hibiscus leaves, basically loose tea leaves for scent. It is a significantly better recipe however, I’m not a fan of the staining from the tea leaves. Which is where the lilacs come in! They are only around for a short period of time in the spring, so we harvested a bunch of the flowers and are trying 4 separate ways of preserving them: freezing, air drying, in coconut oil, and in honey. Lilac flowers are also edible. so we will be posting the various things we try to do with these beautiful, fragrant, flowers!

[patheticgardener]

Okay so I call this Huevos El Bosque (Eggs from the Woods) my take on Huevos Rancheros.

Key differences are that it is sourdough discard flatbread with cilantro, instead of corn tortilla switching up the prairie grasslands wheat 🌾 for the Spanish corn 🌽 . For the the meat I used deer meat 🦌 that we hunted and butchered last season (slow cooked and shredded overnight) instead of beef 🐄. And then using a salsa verde to make the green colouring pop more with the avocado, to give it the forest vibes. 🌳 🌲 🌲

I probably would’ve added a sprig of pine needles for the final touch. 😉

I try my best to think of all aspects of a meal. The look, the taste, the placement and arrangement, the source of the ingredients. I’ve never been to cooking school but I understand beauty and food.

[patheticgardener]

Here we go! First venture into lacto-fermentation. Vegetables and then a sauerkraut on the end.

[patheticgardener]

This loaf had some “inclusions”, green onion, garlic and cheese. I’m stepping it up a notch.

🥖

[patheticgardener]

This weekend was beautiful 🌈. We planted more at our shack, got video of the boar we are hunting. And we got all our starts in the beds at home. 🌱🌱🌱 🐗

[patheticgardener]

Making ferments. Making sourdough. Making kefir now too.

Eat living things!!

@modernnymph 😂 🥖